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Thursday, 20 April 2017

Thank
you for your support of The Kitchen Door Culinary Classes. As
of Summer 2017 we will be wrapping up our business and
discontinuing our classes both publicly and privately in order to
prepare for some new adventures! After five wonderful years of
getting to know so many incredible people we will certainly miss the
fun of learning, cooking and eating together. The natural sense of
community that has formed at each class over the years has been a
wonderful tribute to the power of food and the shared meal
experience. We hope you will keep cooking and find new inspirations
in the future. Our future here is looking bright as we navigate the
exciting waters of three kiddos eight and under, some special needs
and a whole lot of crazy fun!

As
we will no longer be offering Public or Private classes, we want to
acknowledge that there are some folks who have yet to utilise
their Gift Certificates. For this reason we will be planning on
running two follow up classes later this Summer and Fall. If you
have an unused Gift Certificate (or gave one as a gift) please reply
to this email with the following information:

Thursday, 5 January 2017

We
are having good friends for dinner tonight and we are eating tacos...
As it happens, I have a wee bit of extra time today, so I am making
fresh corn taco shells (aka tortillas de harina). These traditional
South American flat breads are the perfect vehicle for your favourite
taco fillings and sauces as they stay pliable and are strong enough
to hold all the goods. They also happen to blow any store bough
tortilla right out of the water. Keep in mind that they take a bit of
practice so be kind to yourself as you get the hang of making them
and don't worry about having a tortilla press because you can use a
small saucepan and get the same great results. If you have never made
fresh salsa then this classic is where you should start...

Pico
de Gallo This classic Mexican topping can be made
with or without jalapeños. Keep in mind that adding the seeds ups
the heat.

Instructions:

2.
Transfer to a medium bowl. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeño, if
desired. Season with salt.

Tortillas
de Harina Corn Tortillas

The unleavened bread
of Mexican cuisine, corn tortillas are made from masa, a type of corn
flour. Freshly made corn tortillas are delicious. But in case
you don't have time for the press and grill routine, here are some
tips on how to rejuvenate store-bought tortillas.

HOW
TO REHEAT PACKAGED or HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

Keep
tortillas in the refrigerator until ready to use. Reheat them by
wrapping stacks of up to 8 pieces in tin foil. Then, place wrapped
tortillas in an oven set at 350F for about 15 minutes.

If
you're crunched for time, just wrap six to eight tortilla rounds in a
dish towel and microwave for 30 seconds until soft, pliable, and
ready to be filled.

Ingredients:

2 cups (or
more) masa (corn tortilla mix; preferably Maseca brand)

1/2 teaspoon kosher
salt

Vegetable
oil (for brushing)

Instructions:

1.
Whisk masa and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water; knead
in bowl until dough forms. The dough should feel firm and springy and
look slightly dry (think Play-Doh). Add more water by tablespoonfuls
if too crumbly; add a little more masa if too wet.

2.
Measure 1 heaping Tbsp. dough and roll into a ball. Flatten on a
tortilla press lined with a plastic bag. If tortilla crumbles, dough
is too dry (add more water); if it sticks to the plastic, dough is
too wet (add more masa). Repeat, pressing out 2 more tortillas.

3.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; lightly brush
with oil. Cook 2–3 tortillas until charred in spots and edges start
to curl, 1–2 minutes. Turn; cook through, about 15 seconds.
Transfer to a kitchen towel; fold over to keep warm. Repeat, in
batches, with remaining dough.

Monday, 26 September 2016

This was dinner tonight at our house... I am too tired some days to come up with fantastic or extravagant meal ideas, plus the kids don't eat my best meals anyways. Tonight I wanted them to get some good calories so I added sausage to the recipe. It's delicious and hearty and best of all, it's super easy.

Rustic
Spanish-Style Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2
onions, roughly chopped

2
Tbsp olive oil

4
stalks celery, cut in half lengthwise and roughly chopped

2
large cans plum tomotoes

2
cups water

1
Tbsp rubbed sage

1
Tbsp marjoram or oregano

4
each bay leaves

2-3
tsp salt

1
1/2 tsp black pepper

2
cups 35% cream (or substitute 10% if you must)

Instructions:

1.
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot until hot. Add onions and celery
and saute until onions are translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile crush the tomatoes by hand or using a potato masher, making
sure there are no big pieces left. Add all the other ingredients
except the cream. Simmer for 20 minutes to infuse.

3.
Add cream, simmer another 5 minutes and serve right away or place in
the fridge for several days. Note: This soup is delicious
with the addition of sausage which can be removed from the casing and
sauteed along with the onions and celery.Yield: 8
servings

Instructions:

1.
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to
high. Rub corn with 1 Tbsp. oil. Grill, turning frequently, until
corn is charred and heated through, 10-12 minutes. Remove from grill;
when cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a
large bowl. DO
AHEAD:Corn
can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

2.
Place onion in a strainer and rinse with cold water to mellow its
flavour. Drain well. Mix onion, remaining 5 Tbsp. oil, tomatoes,
basil, 1/3 cup lime juice, and thyme into corn. Season to taste with
salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired. DO
AHEAD:Salad
can be assembled 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Sunday, 24 April 2016

With Spring weather finally here I am inspired to add ice to all my favourite beverages again. Here is a sample recipe from our Southern Fare Cookbook. This is how they make iced tea in the South and it is fabulous! This coming May 12th is our Public Southern/Cajun Class here at TKD and there are spaces still available. To sign up just head to the Schedule and Fees Tab and Register through PayPal.

Instructions:

1.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove
from heat.

2.
Steep the tea for 5 minutes. Dunk
the tea bags a few times in the water to fully hydrate, then leave
submerged with the strings hanging over the side of the pot. After 5
minutes, remove the bags and discard.

3.
Add the sugar to the tea. Stir
until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour
the tea base into the pitcher. If
using multiple pitchers, divide the tea evenly between them.

4.
Top off the pitchers with water. Add
another 3 quarts of water to make a gallon of sweet tea.

5.
Refrigerate until very cold. Chill
for at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight. Serve
over ice. Add
a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon, if desired! The sweet tea will
keep refrigerated for about a week.

Thursday, 25 February 2016

The humble cobbler can be called by various names such as tart, pie, torte, pandowdy, grunt, slump, buckles, crisp, croustade, bird's nest pudding or crow's nest pudding. This simple dessert is based on seasonal fruits and berries, and should you lack fresh you can easily 'cobble' together whatever is at hand. Serve with ice cream for a perfect ending to any meal.

Ingredients:

4
Tbsp butter

3/4
cup all-purpose flour

3/4
cup sugar

1
tsp baking powder

1/4
tsp salt

3/4
cup milk

2
cups of sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, or whole blueberries,
strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination of fruits
(or a 12-ounce package of frozen berries)

Monday, 7 December 2015

Why not consider a cooking class as the perfect gift for the special people in your life? All of our classes include hands on learning, instruction by chef Katie Franks, a delicious meal we make together and a recipe book full of fun to take home at the end.

Great as a gift for individuals or groups and especially anyone who loves to cook and eat in good company. Gift Certificates can be purchased online and customized just the way you like.Cost is $60 per person (no tax). See our Registration Page for easy PayPal payments or send an email to katie_franks@me.com to order. For online orders please leave the name of the recipient and a brief message in the notes section.